Josef Hoffmann Tables
The Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann was a central figure in the evolution of modern design, and a leader in an aesthetic movement born in Europe in the late 19th century that rejected florid, extravagant ornamentation in favor of a new emphasis on simplicity of line.
As a founder of the Vienna Secession — a union of artists and designers determined to upend Austria’s artistic conservatism — and later, a founder of the turn-of-the-century Wiener Werkstätte (in English: the Viennese Workshops), a design cooperative that produced superbly crafted furniture and housewares, Hoffmann was a pioneering practitioner of what would become a fundamental principle of modernism: that good design is a way of life.
Hoffmann came of age amidst a shift in the culture of the applied arts, as a conservative order that looked only to the past for inspiration was pushed aside. But what, exactly, would replace that order was in question — and Hoffmann’s career embodies the developing patterns of design’s new spirit. His architectural work reflects his time as a student of the Vienna architect Otto Wagner, who disdained excessive decoration and employed new materials such as steel girders and reinforced concrete to create buildings with airy, open interiors full of light.
As a designer of furniture and interiors, Hoffmann was consistently open-minded about the aesthetics he explored. He was an early adherent of the flowing, organic forms of the Art Nouveau design movement that began to flourish in the late 1880s — but by the opening of the Wiener Werkstätte in 1903, Hoffmann’s designs embraced the beauty of geometry in pieces that feature grids and angular forms.
Hoffmann’s greatest works reflect his ability to combine seemingly conflicting design visions into coherent wholes. His architectural masterpiece, the Stoclet Palace in Brussels, has an exterior that groups together simple geometric forms and spacious interiors marked by subtly naturalistic design details that lend rooms an air of charm and geniality.
Hoffmann’s signature furniture design is an adjustable lounge chair — the Sitzmaschine (1905) — that marries a curving frame with square and rectangular back- and side rests. This piece, like so many others by Hoffmann, reflects a groundbreaking, forward-thinking appreciation for the union of different looks and sources that marks the best of interior design in our own day. Moreover, items offered on 1stDibs — which range from enameled silver jewelry, to silver flower vase baskets and other decorative objects, to sofas, lighting pendants and sconces — testify to the astonishing breadth of Hoffman’s creative pursuits. He was truly a giant of design.
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech, Bentwood
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Josef Hoffmann Tables
Bentwood
2010s Austrian Jugendstil Josef Hoffmann Tables
Wood
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Brass
Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech, Plywood
Early 20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Josef Hoffmann Tables
Fabric, Glass, Beech, Bentwood
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Brass
Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Brass
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Glass, Beech
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech, Bentwood
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Josef Hoffmann Tables
Metal, Brass
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech, Lacquer
Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Bentwood
1910s Austrian Jugendstil Vintage Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech, Bentwood
Early 20th Century Austrian Jugendstil Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech
1910s Czech Art Deco Vintage Josef Hoffmann Tables
Wood, Lacquer, Glass, Beech, Walnut
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech
1960s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech
Early 2000s Austrian Modern Josef Hoffmann Tables
Wood
Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Bentwood
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Glass, Wood
1920s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Josef Hoffmann Tables
Metal
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Josef Hoffmann Tables
Wood
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Josef Hoffmann Tables
Aluminum
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Josef Hoffmann Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech
1990s Austrian Josef Hoffmann Tables
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century European Art Nouveau Josef Hoffmann Tables
Wood, Mahogany
2010s Austrian Josef Hoffmann Tables
Ash
1920s German Art Nouveau Vintage Josef Hoffmann Tables
Wood
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Wood
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Josef Hoffmann Tables
Beech
Early 20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Josef Hoffmann Tables
Bentwood
Early 20th Century Austrian Bauhaus Josef Hoffmann Tables
Oak
1910s Austrian Art Nouveau Vintage Josef Hoffmann Tables
Oak
Josef Hoffmann tables for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Josef Hoffmann
- What did Josef Hoffmann invent?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 7, 2024Josef Hoffmann invented the Sitzmaschine, an adjustable lounge chair that the Austrian designer unveiled in 1905. Literally called a “machine for sitting,” it was originally created for a sanatorium in Purkersdorf, near Vienna. It has a curving frame with square and rectangular back and side rests. Like so many other designs by Hoffmann, this piece reflects a forward-thinking appreciation for the union of different sources, here the Arts and Crafts movement and modern design. Find a collection of Josef Hoffmann furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.